Blue Jays win 9-5 over Braves
Posted March 11, 2012 7:46 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Ricky Romero, Toronto’s likely opening-day starter, struck out four in three scoreless innings and J.P. Arencibia, Jose Bautista and Brett Lawrie each had RBI doubles in the Blue Jays’ 9-5 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday in a game between split squads.
Romero has allowed a hit in each of his two starts — five innings — with five strikeouts and hasn’t walked a batter.
Sean Gilmartin pitched two scoreless innings for Atlanta before the Blue Jays jumped on Todd Redmond for three runs in the fourth. Jon Diaz tripled in Toronto’s four-run seventh.
Lawrie went 3 for 3 and is batting .579.
Atlanta’s Eric Hinske hit his second spring homer in the seventh off Darren Oliver and Elmer Reyes doubled for two runs in Braves’ eighth.
In the second game, Tommy Hanson made his delayed spring debut for the Braves after sustaining a mild concussion in an auto accident in February and gave up three runs to the Blue Jays in a game between split squads that was postponed by rain.
After three rain delays, the game was called in the top of the third inning. Hanson said he was having a hard time gripping the ball. He allowed two hits and walked one, and gave up a two-run homer to Toronto’s Jeff Mathis.
Hanson went 11-7 last year with 22 starts. He has started 77 games in the past three seasons for the Braves. Hanson said he felt like he was rounding into shape and had no concerns about being ready for opening day. He threw 28 pitches, 11 for strikes.
